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ACT

®

WorkKeys

®

Administration Manual

• Standard Time

• Accommodations and English Learner Supports

• Online Testing

◦ Workplace Documents

◦ Applied Math

Observers must have the following:

• Photo ID (driver’s license, employee ID, etc.)

• Employee ID, business card, etc. showing company/agency affiliation

• Written authorization from ACT (or, for a state testing program, if observer is not from a

state education agency or district assessment office)

2. If the observer provides the necessary credentials, give the observer your full cooperation.

If not, deny access to the testing area and test materials.

3. Include the observer’s name and company/agency, and whether or not the observer was

admitted, in an Irregularity Report.

preliminary activities. They must stay away from the test location until after the administration.

Under no circumstances are cameras of any type allowed in the test rooms. Media coverage

must be limited to meeting with examinees, with their consent, after the test administration and

any media requests to report on a test administration. ACT will contact members of the media

to explain its policies. This will help to ensure each request or question is uniformly answered.

For a subsequent administration of a test in the same skill area:

• It is strongly recommended that an examinee receive intervention/training before retesting.

• When the examinee attempts to retest, the test delivery platform will automatically assign

has completed testing. Additional reports are available via the Validus VTC Reports Portal 24

hours after testing. Pop-up blockers must be disabled to access an Instant Score Report.

The online format is available to examinees testing with standard time or with eligible

accommodations.

All requirements for an online administration are addressed on the ACT-hosted webpage

• Create accounts for additional testing staff.

• Create accounts for examinees.

• Access score reports for completed assessments.

• Access test data reports.

ends in a number, is unique to your organization. Examinees use the RSP url to:

• Create an account.

• Register for assessments (if applicable to your program).

• Complete registration of a pre-created account within VTC.

this url with examinees. No matter how examinees are registered for assessments, all

assessments must be authorized by testing staff before an examinee can begin testing. The

examinee launches the test, then the room supervisor authorizes the test.

For security reasons, a Validus session will expire after 60 minutes of inactivity. A message

box containing a warning will appear on your screen prior to the expiration. If time has expired,

a message box indicating "access denied...caused by an extended period of inactivity" will

appear. Close the window and log back in to Validus.

Before test day the test coordinator completes the following activities:

• Generate file of examinee User IDs and Passwords; keep the file secure until test day

On test day, for the duration of the testing process, the test coordinator assists staff with any

questions and issues.

On test day, before testing, the test coordinator/room supervisor completes the following

activities:

• Ensure all examinee computers are open to RSP url

• Document irregularities, either in TAO or on the Irregularity Report

• Ensure all examinees have submitted their tests

On test day, after testing, the test coordinator/room supervisor completes the following

activities:

• Generate Instant Score Report and provide to examinee

• Run additional score reports from Reports Portal (24 hours post test)

This administration manual also supplements test administration activities of online testing for

The test coordinator is responsible for identifying people of integrity when selecting their testing

staff. Room supervisors, the technical coordinator, and proctors may be current or retired

All testing staff are required to administer and supervise the test in a nondiscriminatory manner

and in accordance with all applicable laws.

• High school students and lower-division undergraduates

• Anyone who intends to take the same tests within the next 12 months

To protect you and your relatives or wards from allegations of impropriety, if you have any

relative or ward who will be testing at your test site:

• You must not serve as test coordinator or substitute test coordinator. You must delegate

all supervisory responsibilities—including the receipt and return of test materials—to a

qualified colleague.

• You may serve as a room supervisor or proctor for a test administration, but you must not

will be canceled if any of these policies are violated.

Staff must remain attentive to their testing responsibilities throughout the administration.

Reading (except the manuals or supplements), grading papers, using a computer, cell phone,

recording or media device, talking casually with other staff, or engaging in any activity in the

test room not directly related to the administration is not allowed.

rooms. The test coordinator provides the continuity and administrative uniformity necessary to

ensure that examinees are tested under standardized and secure conditions.

• Complete all training

the administration materials

• Create user accounts, as needed, in Validus VTC

• Arrange for examinees to complete non-test information

• Plan seating arrangements for each room

• Create a roster of examinees scheduled to test in each room before test day

• Organize test materials for room supervisors

• Notify examinees of the test date(s), location, and materials needed

• Verify all technical requirements

• Complete the workstation validation test

• Authorize and arrange for any needed accessibility supports

• Read and comply with all policies and procedures in the materials provided by ACT

• Ensure tests are administered in strict compliance with all policies and procedures

documented in these materials

• Ensure all testing staff remain attentive to testing responsibilities throughout the entire

administration

• Provide a timely response to requests from ACT when additional information is needed

• Ensure room supervisors complete all required documentation during the administration

• Oversee the documentation of all irregularities and consult directly with ACT regarding

The substitute test coordinator is responsible for all of the same activities as the test

coordinator. If the test coordinator is not present, the substitute carries out all needed activities.

If the test coordinator is present, the substitute may assist the test coordinator, as needed.

Each room must have a room supervisor responsible for all testing activities in that room. Each

room supervisor must be present for the entire test session. The test coordinator may assume

the role of room supervisor if only one room is used.

your state has a stricter proctor policy, you should abide by that policy.

All testing staff must understand all ACT policies and procedures and their responsibility

for implementing them. It is critical that all test sites follow the same procedures for a fair

The test coordinator is responsible for providing manuals, supplements, and training to all test

understand the policies, procedures, and directions.

experienced) for test day activities. The session should be used to discuss policy, address

• Demonstrate proper seating arrangements and test room preparation, including:

~ Ease of staff observation and movement

medication, breaks as needed, etc.), if relevant.

Training resources are available on the ACT-hosted webpage and via email communications

from ACT.

• Manage accounts.

• Look up a password.

• Add examinees.

• Administer the test to a single examinee, including generating an instant score report and

• Information in any ACT notice

• Cell phone and prohibited devices policy and procedures

• Arrangements for left-handed examinees

• Arrangements for examinees authorized to test with accommodations and supports

• Monitoring test session using the TAO platform

• How to handle breaks

• What to do with examinees dismissed for prohibited behavior

• Reliable timepieces: watch, stopwatch, interval timer, or accurate wall clock

• Signs, cards, or other materials used in admissions procedures

• Permitted calculators (if your site chooses to provide them to examinees)

• Computers with high-speed internet access

desired). For online testing, examinees can use the available system calculator (if preferred).

If any of the following are authorized for accommodations, examinees are expected to supply

their own:

• Abacus

• Screen reader

• Augmentative or alternative communication device (AAC)

• Headphones (if site cannot provide)

• Snacks, drinks, and medication

Examinees must be identified and checked in to the test room, individually, even if they

previously were admitted at a central checkpoint. The marked roster must reflect the

• Photo with examinee’s name embossed or printed on it by a photographer

• Photocopies or reproductions

• Photos issued by a business for promotional purposes (e.g., amusement parks)

• Police report of a stolen wallet or purse

• Printed, stamped, or photocopied signatures

• Report card

• Social Security card

• Telephone calls to identify the examinee

• Traffic ticket, even with a physical description and signature

• Transcript, even with photo

day. The roster can be found in the Forms section of this manual. Write the name of each

examinee scheduled to test on the roster.

If your site provides a readable list of all examinees scheduled to test, by test room, you may

Control who enters and leaves the test room at all times. Do not allow examinees to enter

the test room until the room is properly prepared and the room supervisor is ready to admit

examinees.

1. Admit examinees by checking them in, one-by-one, at the door of the test room.

2. Verify that the identification is acceptable per ACT requirements.

After an examinee has been identified and the roster marked, direct the examinee to a specific,

• Examinees can be seated alphabetically.

• Separate friends and relatives or examinees that arrive together.

• You can direct the first examinee to the left side of the room, the second examinee to the

middle, the third examinee to the right side, and so on.

• If you are using tables large enough for more than one examinee, direct the first examinee

to the first table, the second to the second table, and so on. After one examinee has been

seated at each table, seat a second examinee at each table.

Determine who will need a left-handed work surface if you are not using tables.

a. Ask examinees as they are admitted to the test room if they require left-handed desks, or

b. Write a statement on the board telling left-handed examinees to report to testing staff for

their seating assignments.

must have the same authorized timing and must work on the same test at the same time. This

policy applies to examinees testing under standard and accommodated time. If examinees in

the same testing room complete different tests, scores will be canceled.

The standard time for the Workplace Documents, Applied Math, Graphic Literacy, and Applied

Technology assessments given in English is 55 minutes. Each standard time WorkKeys

assessment given in Spanish is 70 minutes.

Timing or reading the verbal instructions is not to be controlled from a central location for

multiple rooms (for example, using bells, a PA system, or loudspeaker). Each room supervisor

must be able to react to any problems or questions that occur in a particular room.

For standard time administrations, the full time for each test must be given, regardless of the

number of examinees in the room.

An additional 20-30 minutes is required for:

directions have been read.

If you are administering several sessions, back-to-back, in a continuous schedule, you should

provide breaks between sessions. Allow for a 15-minute break after every two sessions or

tests. If you are only administering two tests, you can allow for a break between the two.

room for a break, they must log out before leaving their seats for security reasons.

Cell Phones and Electronic Devices

Examinees may not use cell phones, smart watches, fitness bands, media players, or any

other electronic devices at any time (including during the break). All devices must be powered

off and stored out of sight.

If an examinee accesses a device at any time, or if a device activates after being stored away,

the examinee must be dismissed. Staff should:

• Be vigilant in monitoring for prohibited behavior during testing and during the break.

• Strongly enforce the dismissal of any examinee who engages in prohibited behavior.

Staff should not use cell phones or electronic devices, outside of the device used to manage

TAO, while in the test room. If staff members have cell phones in the room, they should be

turned off or silent.

Calculators

The ACT calculator policy is designed to ensure fairness for all examinees, avoid disturbances

in the test room, and protect the security of the test materials.

• A permitted calculator may be used only on Applied Math.

• All problems on this test can be solved without a calculator.

• The calculator must be turned off and put away during all other tests.

• Bring—and use—a permitted calculator.

• Check for prohibited calculators during the test.

• Check periodically to make sure examinees did not switch calculators after the first check.

• If an examinee uses a prohibited calculator, dismiss the examinee for prohibited behavior.

• If a calculator has characters one inch high or larger, or a raised display, seat the examinee

A formula sheet that includes all formulas required for the Applied Math test is provided within

the test. Examinees can show or hide their formula sheet at their discretion.

Other Items

Examinee Timing Devices

Examinees may use a personal timing device—such as a watch, timer, or stopwatch—to pace

themselves during the test provided the timing device is:

• On the desk (to allow testing staff to monitor for prohibited behavior)

• Not a distraction to others

• Not a prohibited device (e.g., smart watches, fitness bands)

If a timekeeping device cannot lay flat on the desk, it may be placed so that it lays on its side.

Examinees are allowed to handle their watch or other timing device to check the time elapsed

examinee must be dismissed and will not receive score results.

to conceal prohibited behavior, such as using a cell phone, earpiece, or other electronic

device. Not all hats may hinder your ability to monitor examinees and some examinees

may wear hats or other head coverings due to religious convictions or medical reasons.

The announcement to remove hats is left to your discretion.

posted regulation of your site or school policy. Some schools or sites, for example, do not

allow wearing hats. Explain to the examinee the reason for the dismissal and document in

full on the Irregularity Report.

activated (available to use) after an examinee launches their test and the Status changes

into the test site, such as hats, glasses, purses, backpacks, cell phones, calculators, other

electronic devices, pre-approved medications or personal aids, and watches, may be searched

examinee.

When testing is complete, the room supervisor must return the following test materials to the

test coordinator:

• Test administration manuals (Retain administration manuals for the duration of the current

To ensure standardized conditions, room supervisors must read the verbal instructions loudly,

clearly, and exactly as written. This ensures all examinees receive consistent, accurate

• Read aloud only those instructions in the shaded boxes.

• Do not read aloud text in (parentheses).

• Read the correct instructions for your test room.

• Perform all tasks only when directed to do so.

If an examinee is authorized to use a word-to-word bilingual dictionary and/or translated test

directions, note the following:

• It is the examinee’s responsibility to bring an approved dictionary.

• The examinee may not bring a copy of the translated test directions. Only the ACT-

written, highlighted, or enclosed in it. If there is, the examinee must store the dictionary

out of sight and cannot use it. Using or accessing a notated dictionary during testing is

• Before dismissing examinees at the end of testing (each session):

2. Say:

3. Wait until devices are powered off and stored and all watches and other timing devices are

4. Say:

7. Wait for examinees to clear their desks.

8. Say:

9. Address questions, then say:

10. Continue by saying:

14. Check each workstation to make sure that the names that appear at the top of the screen

is of each examinee.

15. Collect the examinees' usernames and passwords.

17. Wait for examinees to complete their demographics.

18. Go to the Verbal Instructions page for the first test that you will be administering. The tests

1. Say:

4. You will see all examinees that are testing at your test site. Do not authorize tests for

5. After examinees select Launch, their status will change to "Awaiting." If some are not in

6. Say:

they don't want to take the test. If they select no again, the test will close. Dismiss the

examinee and document it on the Irregularity Report for your records.

10. During the test, do the following:

a. Verify that all examinees were able to start the test.

b. Complete your Seating Diagram.

c. Move around the room to monitor for prohibited behavior.

d. Monitor examinee progress on your administrative computer. If it seems an examinee

is not progressing (e.g., is on the same item number for a long time), check with the

examinee to make sure there are no computer problems.

11. If you are testing in a continuous session, go directly to the verbal instructions for the test

11. By selecting Option A, the examinee will proceed to the next page on their screen. If an

a. Verify that all examinees were able to start the test.

b. Complete your Seating Diagram.

c. Move around the room to monitor for prohibited behavior.

examinee to make sure there are no computer problems.

e. Refer to the Calculator Policy and check all calculators periodically throughout testing.

Dismiss any examinees who use a prohibited calculator. They will not be allowed to

ACT has a dedicated Test Security Hotline for the confidential reporting of specific test security

related concerns. You should use the Test Security Hotline to report:

• Accessing questions prior to the test

• Taking photos or making copies of test questions or test materials

• Posting test questions on the internet

• Test staff misconduct (such as providing answers or questions to test takers or permitting

test takers to engage in prohibited conduct during testing).

2. Protect the integrity of our testing assets and the information and insights ACT provides

throughout the entire life cycle of a test (from test concept to development, delivery,

information and insights ACT provides, and the ACT brand.

4. Ensure that a reported test score and associated information are accurate and valid

indicators of the test taker's own achievements, behaviors, and/or goals.

5. Foster effective communication that enables prompt reporting and resolution of test

security concerns.

6. Ensure that everyone in the testing process is aware of, competent for, and supported in

their roles. Avoid placing individuals or organizations in situations that may pose or appear

to pose a conflict of interest or a safety concern.

7. Build a sense of community, collaboration, and trust that engages and empowers people to

act upon these principles.